Background:

The energy sector plays a significant role in addressing air pollution and climate change. The generation of energy, together with residential energy use and industrial processes, are the key contributing sectors to global PM2.5 exposure and the corresponding health burden of an estimated 1.6 million annual premature deaths1. In 2020, 13.6 gigatonnes (Gt) of CO2 emissions were emitted from the electricity and heat production sector, with Asia accounting for 9.2 Gt, or 67.6% of the global total2. In order to reduce emissions and their negative impacts on the environment and public health, as well as to achieve the Paris Agreement goal of limiting the increase in global temperature to 1.5°C by 2050, urgent action through integrated clean air and climate action plans and policies is needed.

Countries around the world, especially in Asia, are committed to meeting their air quality targets through national clean air action plans and policies. In the COP27, several countries made significant commitments to move away from coal use and transition towards clean energy to achieve net zero emissions. Countries in Asia, such as the People’s Republic of China (PRC), India, and Indonesia, pledged to retire coal-fired power plants (CFPs), prevent the entry of new coal plants, and avoid the funding of new fossil power projects. Ambitious goals on increasing the share of renewable energy sources in the energy mix have been announced, together with more stringent policies on monitoring and reducing emissions from the energy and industry sector. The increase in the use of renewable energy has resulted in significant decrease in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Asia3, while estimates show that more than half a million premature deaths globally can be avoided by eliminating coal-driven fossil fuel combustion1.

Objective:

The South - South Knowledge Sharing on Air Quality and Carbon Neutrality project supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) aims to facilitate sharing of best practices on improving air quality and reducing carbon emissions. This event brought together all interested stakeholders to discuss the air quality and climate benefits of implementing policies to support a just energy transition, highlighting key success factors and considerations to ensure applicability in the regional and local context. The seminar provided an overview of the energy outlook in the region and the potential impacts of energy transition to air quality. Practical approaches on energy policy development and implementation will be discussed by regional experts, with emphasis on the needs and considerations to ensure success and sustainability of solutions.